A Nation of Moochers

As Alex Altman reports, Mitt Romney’s bad week just got worse. And the worst of the worse is Romney’s contention that the 47% of the country who support Obama are just looking for handouts. This from a man who pays 14% in taxes–a multi-million dollar handout that Romney receives because he makes his money via a financial scheme that enjoys a major tax break from the government. As Michael Grunwald pointed out last week in his memorable Time cover story, we’re all getting goodies from the government in one way or another. And yes, it might be a good idea to review all these subsidies–sugar? cotton? oil?–but it is sheer…I guess you’d have to call it class warfare to say that only the 47% voting for Obama are on the dole. How embarrassing: Romney keeps on kicking himself in the face.

Why are you Liberal medialists so intent on mischaracterizing Romney's comments that were, in fact, private; stolen; quoted (constantly) out of context; and (repeatedly) irresponsiblity published?

Frankly, the 53% who actually pay taxes (setting aside those, of course, who have earned their tax-free status, say retirees, and those too ill to work) are sick, tired, disgusted, and annoyed with the WORKING AMERICANS who pay no Federal taxes at all, and many of whom pay negative taxes in the form of the Earned Income Credit.

I firmly believe that no one - and I mean no one - under the age of say, 17, should go hungry in this Country for even a day, much less a night or a weekend; no baby should be without vaccination; and that our veterans receive every benefit to which they are entitled.

Everyone else: get to WORK!

Oh: and McDonalds, Wally World, the corner cafe, and all other business can and should be REQUIRED to pay a living, miminum wage (say $15 an hour).

I am SICK and TIRED of FULL TIME workers at Wally World receiving Food Stamps and living in Section 8 apartments at the expense of the 53%....and yes, I am willing to pay more for cheap crap from China to accomplish this end.

Kill the subsidies for EVERYONE, corporations and individuals, and get back to the world my Father lived in: many children, and payed taxes (witholding, payroll, general sales, and hundreds of others) every year of his now-76 year old life.

At the risk of disturbing this echo chamber of comments, and also with the expectation of censorship, nothing Romney said should be offensive, unless the shoe fits. He is correct when he says 47% of Americans don't currently pay federal income taxes. He may have over-estimated that all of that percentage don't want to find a better way out of their predicament. It is inherent, that the Democratic party sees an advantage to having people dependent on government, and the Republicans want as little government as possible. You can paint Republicans with an extremist brush, but we clearly believe those that are truly disabled need, and deserve our help. We also believe that good people have bad things happen to them, and they need help until their luck changes. We do not believe that people should become perpetually dependent on government if their are enough jobs available to them, and if they are healthy. I work, and went to college. My brother is unemployed and pursuing a disability claim. He lives at least as well as I do, if not better. I work 60 hours per week, and my wife works 40. He and his wife do not work, and have all day to do as they wish. They attend the gym (paid for by his state medical card -rehabilitation don't you know). They attend yoga classes, and various other activities all paid for by social service programs. Our government can no longer afford to have these freeloaders sponging off of the taxpayers. He has been out of work for at least 10 years, and owns a nicer home than mine. He has two, newer cars than mine. My big downfall is that my health insurance doesn't pay all that much, so most of my available income goes to the hospital/doctors. I avoid going to the doctor unless absolutely necessary, he does not.

I look at his situation, and I begin to wonder if I am the idiot, for subsidizing this system, and perhaps I should just join in the pillaging of our treasury, currently underway. When people like myself, who do pay serious income taxes decide we'd be better off by quitting working, it will be over for all of the moocher class. There will be no more money for "free stuff". As it is now, we don't have the money to pay for everything and are simply printing money to pay for all this "free stuff". The anger is palpable on my side of the aisle, and we've about had it being played for suckers. Just think when we reach that moment when we all decide to quit working. It is coming, and soon, unless things change.

I must apologize to the American people. As a recently retired Vietnam veteran, I am a 65-year-old member of Mitt Romney's infamous 47%. I feel ashamed that I pay no income tax on the retirement money I struggled to save while raising four children and working 40 to 60 hours a week, sometimes at two jobs. I feel ashamed that during my military service, I also paid no income tax when I was in a combat zone. I guess I shouldn’t feel entitled to retirement tax breaks and Medicare.

Thank you, Mr. Romney. I never realized I was such a drain on America. That I am dependent on government. That I believe I’m a victim. You will receive my full apology on Nov. 6. That’s the day I will vote for President Obama — who, by a wide margin, is the lesser of two evils. - Wash Post comment

Wow, the Republicans now have a streak of three stooges in a row who have run to occupy the Oval Office. One who had a hard time reading, another who is responsible for giving us Sarah Palin, and now a clearly Not Ready For Prime Time Player.

I'm part of the 53% who pay federal income taxes (indeed, at a much higher percentage than the Romneys) as well as payroll taxes, state taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, and a slew of other fees and taxes and have done so every year for the last 40. Here's a news flash for Romney and the other like-minded right-wing morally bankrupt members of his party; were I hungry, homeless, and suffering illness, I too believe I am entitled...yes, ENTITLED... to food, shelter, and healthcare. These are basic fundamental human needs and rightfully expected by every human being within a civilized society. We, the people, created our government to ensure our safety and collective well-being. In turn, it is the government's first and foremost responsibility to create and establish policies whereby we can each achieve such for ourselves while also providing for those who fail. Romney’s current claim that he was trying to say he wants to help those in need is laughable. The obvious disdain in his voice coupled with his plan to double down on a failed trickle down theory says it all. If he was sincere, he might have offered a living wage proposal to the fat cats in the room. It’s time for the Repugnants and their millionaire backers to stop thumping their bibles long enough to open them and read Luke 12:48. “For everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required.”

bck2yu Sorry to post in like this but there was no reply button for your rebutal.

Know anything about polling? When/if you get to a University, Stats101 is usually a requirment for and of the 'hard' degrees. Political polls as used are NOT random. The poll questions are sorted various ways. Jay Cost at "Morning Jay" has an excellent article on the process. Look it up.

Basically, political polls are 'built' (stocked is another term used) from a previous elections exit polling.

For example. If in 2008 the exit polls determined that 38% were (D), 32% (R), 30% (I).

So when they run a poll today, they go through the answers and keep 38% that are (D), 32% that are (R)'s and 30% (I)'s. That is based on the '08 results. Run that same poll based on the '10 results and the numbers are VERY different. The poll I saw was NOT a public poll. It was paid for by a private citizen so I would be stealing if I took it from him and made it public. Plus he is a dear friend and I wouldn't abuse him like that.

You don't need to worry about polls. What you need to worry about is the 40 million Americans that will grab their rifles and go hunting when hunting season opens. That is the weekend AFTER the election. Bambi might get a break this year. Not so sure about democrats.

Rasmussen LOL. All over the internet I see Republican voters claiming that all the media and most of the Pollsters are in the tank for Obama. What is their reasoning pray tell? (pray being a key component) Rasmussen says so! . When we point out to them that Rasmussen was the least accurate last time and leaned to the right by 4% they simply say "oh yeah like anything Nate Silver reports is credible" So here is one piece of evidence that might make them stop and think twice about their line of thinking. On Aug 29 Rasmussen reported a 35% negative gap between right direction, wrong track. On Sept 9 , it dropped to 20 percent negative. Associated press has the difference at only negative 11. My question is simple to follow. If Rasmussen's polling is correct and 15% less people now think we are still on the wrong track , Who do Republicans think those 15% are backing LOL. All evidence points toward Romney going down in the polls

The Pew Research Center and Rasmussen Reports were the most accurate in predicting the results of the 2008 election, according to a new analysis by Fordham University political scientist Costas Panagopoulos.

The Fordham analysis ranks 23 survey research organizations on their final, national pre-election polls, as reported on pollster.com.

On average, the polls slightly overestimated Obama’s strength. The final polls showed the Democratic ahead by an average of 7.52 percentage points — 1.37 percentage points above his current 6.15-point popular vote lead. Seventeen of the 23 surveys overstated Obama’s final victory level, while four underestimated it. Only two — Rasmussen and Pew — were spot on.

I actually appreciate the information you have provided as I consider myself a realist and will call it like I see it. The article I read my Nate Silver did not weigh the final night only but looked at their polling over the course of the election. Nate pointed out that Rasmussen was less accurate until the end and then reported numbers that where fairly close with other national polls. He argued that this was done deliberately to spin throughout the campaign but then have credibility when the contest is over. It will be very interesting to see if there is any true to this as Rasmussen is polling much better numbers in states such as Col, Vir , Florida etc. Conservative Peggy Noonan is reporting that Romney's own people have him behind in these states and that's why they gave up Michigan and Penn to focus on states like Wisconsin where he can still win. One final note about the two you picked for accuracy. Rasmussen has Romney leading by 2 and Pew has Obama by 8. that is a ten point spread so someone is certainly wrong

I know lots of people who decide to respond to every survey saying they would vote for obama, even though they wouldn't vote for the anti-American RADICAL

under any circumstances!

Election day is going to look like CHICK-FIL-A APPRECIATION DAY! People will be lined up, waiting for a parking place, so they can cast their ballot for MITT ROMNEY and AGAINST barack hussein obama.....mmmm.....mmmm....mmmm!

You can thank Bush for that 47% statistic. Not only did he cut taxes (after being given a surplus by Clinton) for everyone during times of war (when expenditures spike), but he also deregulated, setting up the whole economic disaster that put people out of work in the first place.

The funny thing is that Mitt is correct. What is hilarious is that the left (media) thinks it will matter. Obviously they paid no attention to the speech. If they had, they would know that nothing Mitt says will change the minds (if they have minds) of that 47%

Nothing the media says will either. The other 47% that is Mitt's are just as locked in, maybe more so. The next POTUS will be determined by that 6%. They are best described as "Honey Bo-Bo's". If one of them ever had a thought it would kill them. They will decide based on their "feeling" on the way to the polling station. The media is doing conservatives a favor there. All the bogus polls will make the Honey Bo-Bos stay home. They will think, it's in the bag for Obama, why get off the couch?

You can BET that Chick-a-filet voters and the tea party will make it to the polls.

This doesn't surprise me because many have picked up on the fact that Obama has done things like "Attack Watch" and Media Matters, and that Obama has attacked Fox News and other people personally. Obama didn't like Ryan's plan so he invited him to sit in the front row to listen to his speech...then Obama mocked Ryan's plan.

People don't want to put up R/R signs because they know that there will be retribution...might just be getting their cars "keyed", or it might be something more serious.

Who wants to give away info to someone over the phone who may or may not be who they say they are? Who knows if saying that you won't vote for Obama, might get you on the "bad" list by O-Camp.

Also, I see everyday people who say they voted for Obama and they are life long Dems, who will never vote Dem again thanks to Obama's policy.

Also, a lot of the people who are out of work, on food stamps, getting some form of welfare, really would much rather have a Job. They lost their jobs or cannot get jobs because of Obama.

Many are young college grads who wanted to start a career, buy a house, and start a family, but they are lucky if they can get a job in a big box store, while living at home with their parents.

Seniors who live on SS and Medicare know that they spent their entire lives paying into it and they deserve that money. They do and R/R plan to make sure they get their money.

I think his comments were appropriate given the state of the economy. It seems no one wants to get a job since unemployment rate is so high. I see lots of ads for jobs so there must be jobs. These people, the people Romney is talking about need to get out of their beds and get a job. It's not American to not want to work. Once they start working they can pay their fair share of taxes and not burden us people that make so much money and pay for them. It's just not fair we have to pay all the taxes and we don't even use their schools.

LOL! The left wing media is in an Tizzy! Today's Rasmussen LV tracking polls shows the Obama convention bounce is gone. Gov Romney is ahead nationally by 2 points. Today's Gallup tracking RV poll shows Obama only ahead by 1, which means Romney is ahead by 1 or 2 points among likely voters just like Rasmussen shows. The economy is getting worse and worse with the Federal Reserve taking emergency measure to slow the slide, and Obama's foreign policy is blowing up everywhere. Thanks to Obama's foreign policy of bows apology, appeasement, and hostility to Israel we have 4 dead Americans, including an Ambassador, and the Black Flags of Al Qaeda flying over our Embassies in Egypt and Tunisia. So the left wing press is trying everything. What Gov Romney said is true. Obama has spent over $5 trillion borrowed dollars trying to buy votes by putting people on the Government dole. The only place I disagree with Gov Romney is that most Americans don't want Obama's Gov Dole. They want growth, jobs, and a fair shot at the American Dream. Gov Romney offers that and he should go out their and fight for all of those votes. Obama is a Failed President taking our nation down the road to disaster and Poverty. Only the extrem left who want the Government to control everything want that. Gov Romney needs to fight, and rememer that the left wing media is a full partner with Obama's reelection team. So he needs to ignore them and take his fight to the American People direcly!

So capital gains is a "scheme"? I invest in companies -- try to follow this now -- with the money I made and paid taxes on and, when and if those companies make money, my "capital" does what we call "gain", meaning it gets a little bigger. That biggerness, if there is any, gets sent to me. Often as not, I just leave it there, buying more stock, but sometimes I let them give it back to me so I can buy, say, a speedboat -- a big one too -- maybe even made in America and my trophy wife and I ride around Lake Shasta in it, coming close enough to shore to splash the Little People.

B.O. continues to make mistakes so we can cut Mitt some slack. King Barack...ruler of 47%. Notice how Mitt is accused of receiving a handout knowing how to invest his money to get the greatest return. He pays the going rate. At least Mitt generously gives to his church and his charities...Obama can't even help his Kenyan brother, George, in times of need.

I think the point that Republicans are missing is that in the last election 49% of people making $50,000 or more voted democrat and 51% making 50,000 or more voted Republican. Romney basically just told a lot of well off people (millions to be exact) that if they chose not to vote Republican they are a bunch of Moochers. If his statements alienate even 2 0r 3 % that where going to vote for him, he is finished